Demi Lovato needs no introduction, but that hasn’t stopped them from reintroducing themself anyway.
The singer returned to the MTV Video Music Awards last night for the first time since 2017. In the process, Lovato (whose protest song “Swine” earned two nominations) showed out in a trifecta of all-black looks that solidified their emergence as a bona fide rock star.
It’s a sartorial evolution that has been ongoing since Lovato released their 2022 album Holy Fvck, which notably departed from the Technicolor pop and electric R&B soundscape they were known for. Instead, Holy Fvck flaunted raging hard-rock anthems, an embrace of a genre Lovato considers to be one of their early musical influences.
Naturally, Lovato’s style has kept pace with their creative transformation. “I would say that my style has evolved into a more edgier sense of fashion,” they told Bazaar.com on a phone call ahead of the VMAs. “The elements that I wanted to bring into my looks have a rock influence, so definitely bringing in leather, latex, mesh, things like that.” Still, they added, “I’m just kind of doing my own thing.”
There was leather and latex galore at last night’s VMAs, thanks to Lovato and their stylist, Jill Jacobs.
For their first look of the night, the singer walked the carpet in a Buerlangma set consisting of a black minidress with mesh-and-leather panels and a massive leather overcoat with dramatically pointed shoulder pads. They completed the look with glossy black slingback pumps from Christian Louboutin and an array of jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz.
Later during the ceremony, Lovato played three songs from their forthcoming Revamped, a record that transforms some of their most beloved pop songs into hard-rock tracks. Their performance included the rock versions of “Heart Attack,” “Cool for the Summer,” and “Sorry Not Sorry.” Lovato previously performed the latter two songs at the 2017 VMAs.
To take the stage, Lovato changed into a custom black latex gown by Los Angeles–based designer Venus Prototype. The eye-popping piece featured a draping twisted off-the-shoulder neckline, a corseted bodice, and a skintight skirt. They paired it with matching latex opera gloves.
“We found stuff that I felt really chic in, but also encapsulated the rock element and vibes while still feeling comfortable,” Lovato said.
After the performance, Lovato rejoined the audience in yet another outfit—this time, a corseted Annakiki ball gown with buckled straps and a voluminous bubble tiered skirt.
When it comes to generating rock music—a genre historically steeped in fringe politics and antiestablishment thinking—Lovato hopes to continue using their songwriting skills as a form of protest. Their VMAs-nominated track “Swine” scathingly ripped at the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and they previously criticized President Donald Trump with the 2016 song “Commander in Chief.”
“It is something that is obviously important to me and to birthing people everywhere,” Lovato said of “Swine.” “I wanted to make that statement, and I felt it was really important to come out and say something—and I hadn’t heard music really talk about that recently.”
They hope other mainstream artists will follow suit. “It’s been kind of disappointing not seeing other people taking a stand with topics like this,” Lovato said, “but I do what I can, and I try to just make my statement known through my music.”
